Automatic roll-up batcher

ABSTRACT

THE INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO A ROLL-UP BATCHER FOR WEB MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY KNITTED FABRICS, WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED PARTICULARLY BY ITS SIMPLIFIED CONSTRUCTION AND LOW OVERALL COST, WHILE HAVING A PLURALITY OF DESIRABLE OPERATIONAL FEATURES AND BEING SUBSTIALLY AUTOMATIC IN OPERATION. THE ROLL-UP BATCHER RECEIVES KNITTED FABRIC OR OTHER WEB MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY, ROLLS IT ABOUT A CORE TUBE TO PROVIDE A ROLL OR &#34;BATCH&#34; OF PREDETERMINED SIZE. THE BATCH ROLL IS CUT FROM THE WEB AND REMOVED, AND THE WINDING OF A NEW BATCH ROLL IS AUTOMATICALLY COMMENCED. THE EQUIPMENT OF THE INVENTION UTILIZES LIGHTWEIGHT CORE TUBES, TO FACILITATE HANDLING OF THE ROLL OF BATCHES, IT IS READILY ADJUSTABLE IN WIDTH, TO ACCOMMODATE VARIOUS WIDTHS OF FABRIC OR OTHER WEB MATERIAL, IT EASILY HANDLES THE WINDING OF VERY SMALL DIAMETER &#34;SAMPLE SIZE&#34; ROLLS, AND IT IS ARRANGED SO THAT CORE TUBE LOADING AND BATCH UNLOADING MAY BE READILY ACCOMPLISHED FROM THE FRONT OR DISCHARGE SIDE OF THE EQUIPMENT.

Sept. 20, 1971 E.' col-1N ETAL 3,606,186

AUTOMATIC ROLL-UP BATCHER4 l' Filed Oct. 18', 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 -J-b -3 4 FIG.` 1

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INVENTORS EUGENE COHN ANDREW P. CECERE Jew ATTORNEYS E. COHN EVAL AUTOMATIC ROLL-UP BATCHER Sept. 20, 1971 Filed Oct. 18, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheetv l INVENTORS EUGENE COHN ANDREwP. CECERE J w ATToRrYs sept. 20, 1971 E, CQHN ETAL AUTOMATIC ROLL-UP BATCHER 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 l l Filed oct. 18, 1968 lll INVENTORS EUGENE COHN ANDREW E CECERE o ATTORNEYS E. COHN ETAL AUTOMATIC ROLL-UP BATGHER sept. zo, 1911 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 18. 1968 ATTORNEYS Scpt. 2Q, 1971; E. col-1N ETAL AUTOMATIC RoLL-UP BATCHER v 6l Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed oct. 18. 196s FIG. 6

INVENTORS EUGENE COHN ANDREW P. CECERE Ml ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1'971 vE. col-1N ETAL 3,606,186

AUTOMATIC ROLL-UP BATCHER Filed Oct. 18, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. 8

INVENTORS EUGENE COHN ANDREW P. CECERE BEWM f MM@ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,606,186 AUTOMATIC ROLL-UP BATCHER Eugene Cohn, Great Neck, and Andrew P. Cecere, Valley Stream, N.Y., assignors to Samcoe Holding Corporation, Woodside, N.Y.

Filed Oct. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 768,872 Int. Cl. B65h 19/20 U.S. Cl. 242--56R Z0 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is directed to a roll-up batcher for web materials, particularly knitted fabrics, which is characterized particularly by its simplified construction and low overall cost, while having a plurality of desirable operational features and being substantially automatic in operation. The roll-up batcher receives knitted fabric or other web material continuously, rolls it about a core tube to provide a roll or batch of predetermined size. The batch roll is cut from the web and removed, and the winding of a new batch roll is automatically commenced. The equipment of the invention utilizes lightweight core tubes, to facilitate handling of the roll of batches; it is readily adjustable in width, to accommodate various widths of fabric or other web material; i-t easily handles the winding of very small diameter sample size rolls; and it is arranged so that core tube loading and hatch unloading may be readily accomplished from the front or discharge side of the equipment.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION In the handling and processing of various web materials, it is a common practice to gather a continuous or extended run of web material into smaller units or batches. Frequently, this is accomplished by Winding the discharged Web material into a roll form and periodically severing the wound rolls from the discharging web and commencing the winding of a new roll. The present invention is directed -to an apparatus for performing this function. The invention is directed particularly to the roll-up hatching of lknitted fabric webs, and will be dei scribed principally in that context. However, many features of the invention will have applicability to the roll-up hatching of other web materials.

Ordinary roll-up hatching equipment for fabrics and other web materials is now commercially available and is known in the public literature. Representative of such equipment would be, for example, the apparatus illustra-ted in the C. W. Birch Ir. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,248, granted July 3l, 1962. However, equipment of available design tends to be of a complex and costly construction, such that the equipment is not suitable for a Wide variety of available industrial applications, by virtue of -the unfavorable econornics involved. It is thus a basic objective of the present invention to provide automatic roll-up hatching apparatus which is of extraordinarily simplified and economical construction, suitable for a wide variety of uses, including particularly the roll-iup hatching of knitted fabrics. It is also an objective of the invention to provide an `automatic batcher that can readily handle sample size rolls, which may be as small as three to four inches in final diameter.

One of the specific features of the invention resides in the provision of an automatic roll-up hatching apparatus of a simplified and economical construction, in which it is practical and desirable to utilize lightweight, paperboard core tubes, without heavy mandrels, while, at the same time providing reliable positive, start-up traction for the commencement of the winding of a new roll- 3,606,186 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 batch. Heretofore, it has been a common practice toinsert relatively weighty mandrels, such as steel bars, for example, within the core tubes to provi-de sufficient trac tion weight for proper starting of winding of a new rollbatch. This is apt to result in excessive or unneeded weight as -the roll increases in size, and it also increases the difliculty of handling of the completed roll batches. It also has been a common practice in the past to provide means for applying external bearing `weight to the mandrel, for traction purposes, and to provide complicated mechanical arrangements for bringing new mandrels into operative position to the pressure bearing means, as completed batches are removed from the equipment. This not only adds significantly to the complication and installed cost of the equipment, but also may result in undesired and excessive loading of a web material, such as knitted fabric, which has a degree of resiliency or distortability in a radial direction in its roll-up form.

As a specific feature of the present invention, a novel and highly simplified arrangement is provided for the gravity feeding of lightweight core tubes, substantially into position for starting the winding of a neW batch. In addition, novel, gravity actuated arrangements are provided for first effecting positive rolling feed of the core tube into the starting position and then for maintaining a gravitational load thereon during the initial portions of the batch winding operation. After the winding roll has suicient self-contained weight for effective traction, the additional gravity load is automatically removed, and the only load remaining is that of the wound material itself together with the lightweight core tube.

In the apparatus of the invention, the magazine for core tubes, and the gravity actuated feeding and loading arrangements, are carried upon transversely adjustable carriages, so that the equipment may readily be adjusted, widthwise to accommodate web materials of various sizes. This is of particular importance in the hatching of knitted fabrics, for example, since such fabrics are constructed in various widths in the first instance, and the processing of fabrics of similar starting widths, prior to hatching, often results in fabrics of different finished Widths.

A further specific feature of the invention, intended particularly for the roll-up hatching of knitted fabrics, but possibly applicable to the hatching of other materials, resides in the provision of a pair of driven wind-up rollers, which are disposed in side-byside relation and provides a trough-like support for a winding roll of material. The

roller, which 'first contacts the incoming material has4 relatively superior gripping characteristics with the material and serves as the principal drive means. The roller having subsequent contact with the material has a surface providing relatively inferior gripping characteristics with the material, and it is driven at a slightly higher speed. The second roller thus is maintained in a slightly slipping relation to the winding roll of web material, in this manner serving to maintain a tightly wound, uniform, roll having even ends and otherwise being in improved con dition for the intended end use.

A further specific feature of the invention resides in the provision of an advantageous control arrangement whereby, when an operator removes a Iwound-up roll from the winding station, the web is automatically severed, a new core tube is fed into position, and the free end of the incoming web material is automatically started winding about the new tube. The control arrangement includes means for momentarily bringing the hatcher to a stop during cut-off, without otherwise affecting the flow of incomin-g fabric. This provides for a right angle cut on the end of the fabric, using a single blade, traversing cutter, and minimizes the scrappage of material at the web ends. Provisions are made for the running storage of the in- 3 coming material during the momentary stoppage of the apparatus.

For a more complete understanding of the above and other advantageous features of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a roll-up butcher apparatus constructed in accordance `with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional 'View taken generally along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4-7 are simplified schematic views generally similar to the view of FIG. 3, illustrating the sequence of operations involved in the feeding of a lightweight core tube in the start of wind-up of a new roll-batch, in accordance with the principles of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating the front or discharge portion of the apparatus of FIG. l.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, the reference numeral 10 designates generally a machine frame structure, which is suitably supported on the plant oor. If desired, the machine frame may be supported on wheels or casters (not shown) enabling the equipment to be readily moved about for association with different processing lines. The basic simplicity and lightweight construction of the apparatus of the invention readily accommodates such portability.

The machine frame 16 includes a pair of horizontally disposed structural elements 11 supporting spaced bearing blocks 12, 13. The bearing blocks 12 journal a primary wind-up roller 14, while the bearing blocks -13 journal a secondary wind-up roller 15. As illustrated in FIG. 3,

the wind-up rollers 14, 15 are disposed in parallel relation, spaced closely together, so as to form a trough-like support for a winding roll of material. The separation between rollers is suiciently small as to enable the rollers to support a core tube of relatively small diameter (e.g., around 2 inches). At the same time, the diameter of the wind-up rollers 14, 15 is sufciently large to enable them to function eifectively in supporting a roll of relatively large diameter during the winding procedure.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, as will be more fully described hereinafter, the primary winding roll is provided with surface characteristics giving it relatively superior gripping abilities with respect to the particular web material being handled, typically knitted fabric. In the illustrated arrangement, the desirable surface characteristics are achieved by providing a rubber cover 16. The secondary windup roller 15 has surface characteristics providing relatively inferior gripping of the 4web material, and desirably this may be accomplished by polishing the outer surface of a metal roller.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the wind-up rollers 14, 15 are driven by sprockets 17, 18, from a primary drive motor M. In accordance with the invention, the relationship between the drive sprockets 17, 18 and the outside diameters of the wind-up rollers 14, 15 is such as to impart a surface speed to the secondary roller 15, which is somewhat higher than the surface speed of the primary roller 14. In an advantageous equipment for winding of knitted fabric, the secondary roller 15 may have a surface speed around 10% greater than that of the primary roller 14.

At the entry side of the equipment there are guide rollers 19, 20 and a vertically movable take-up roller 21. Incoming fabric, typically being discharged from a tenter dryer or other prior processing apparatus (not shown) is directed over the guide roller 19, under the take-up roller 21 and then over the guide roller 20. Any momentary differential in the speed of the wind-up apparatus relative to the processing apparatus is accommodated by an upward or downward movement of the take-up roller 21. If desired, the take-up roller may be associated with an automatic speed control, advantageously of the windup equipment rather than the processing equipment, so that the wind-up speed is correlated automatically with that of the processing equipment.

The incoming fabric F, after passing about the guide roller 20, is guided under a herring-bone spreader bar. 22, which extends across the full width of the machine and is supported at its ends by plates 23 secured to the structural elements 11. The spreader bar 22, which is a conventional element of fabric handling equipment, has ribs 24 on opposite sides of the center line of the machine which are disposed at an angle to urge the fabric in a direction from its center line towards its edges, tending to spread the fabric flat.

As shown in FIG. 3, the herring-bone spreader bar 22 is disposed below the tangent line between the guide roller 20 and the primary wind-up roller 14, so that the fabric F is diverted down and around the spreader bar. As the fabric travels upward and forward, between the spreader bar and the wind-up roller 14, the edge margins of the fabric are directed between pairs of air uncurlers 25 at each side. The uncurlers, as shown in FIG. 2, extend horizontally inward, over and under the fabric margins, and are arranged to direct streams of air outward thereover. ilf there is any residual curl in the fabric margins, as is commonly experienced with knitted fabrics, the curl is laid at by the air streams and held that way until the fabric cornes into flat contact with the wind-up roller 14. The air uncurlers 25 are carried by side plates 26, which are adjustably mounted for inward and outward movement with respect to the machine frame. Accordingly, the side plates 26 may be set at any predetermined width, within the capacities of the equipment, to accommodate various widths of fabric being discharged from the previous processing line.

For automatic operation of the equipment, there is provided a magazine 27 for holding a supply of core tubes 28. As successive rolls are wound to a predetermined. or batch size and removed, new core tubes may be fed automatically into position and the winding of a new roll commenced. Of particular significance, in this regard, the core tubes contemplated to be used with the equipment of the present invention are of extremely light weight, typically being of hollow paperboard construction suitable for one-time utilization, and the equipment is designed to utilize such lightweight tubes without heavy steel mandrels inserted therein, as is conventional practice with available equipment.

In accordance with the invention, the core tube magazine 27 includes elements for guiding and supporting the end extremities of the core tubes, and these elements are supported and carried by the side plates 26. The side plates 26 are slidably supported for transverse adjusting movement by means of guide rods 29, 30, with transverse adjustment being effected by means of synchronized threaded shafts 31, 32. l.For a fabric of given processed width, the core tube selected for use is of somewhat greater length, to provide, say, two or three inches of core tube projection at each end of the fabric roll. The width setttng of the side plates 26 is such as to acco-mmodate, with a slight end clearance, the selected length of core tube. With the side plates thus adjustably positioned, the air uncurlers 25 automatically are disposed over the edge margins of the fabric, as desired.

As shown best in FIGS. l and 3, the core tube magazines includes -channels 33 of a suitable width toy closely guide and support the end extremities of the tubes. The channels 33 are shaped to provide an open-ended forwardly projecting portion 34, for front loading of tubes into the magazine, and a vertically disposed portion 35 arranged to feed the tubes downward onto a pair of inclined feeder tracks 36. Additional guide bars 37, 38 are supported between the spaced main channels 33, to guide the center portions of the core tubes. The guide bars are located generally in the center areas of the equipment, within the limits of the shortest tube to be accommodated, to enable the side plates 26 to be adjusted inwardly without necessitating adjustment of the guide bars.

The core tubes 28 are deposited by the operator in-the forwardly facing end openings of the channels 33 and roll or fall by gravity to the lower end of the channels. The lower-most core tube is supported at the upper end of the inclined feeder tracks 36, being held in a ready position by a pair of U-shaped escapement elements 39. The inclined feeder tracks 36 are carried by the side plates 26, and support the end extremities of the core tubes. The escapement elements 39 are located in the center areas of the apparatus, adjacent the outboard guide bars 37, 38, as indicated in FIG. 2. The escapement elements 39 are ykeyed to a transverse rock shaft 40, which is journaled at its ends `41 in the machine frame. A lever 42 is keyed to the rock shaft and engages the actuating rod 43 of a fluid cylinder 44. At desired times, the actuator `44 is energized to rock the shaft 40 through an arc of about 60 degrees in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 3, for example). The open sides of the U-shaped escapement elements then face down the feeder tracks 36, allowing the core tube to roll down the incline. The curved roll edges 45 of the brackets (see FIGS. 4 and 5) block off the lower ends of the feed channel, so that only one core tube at a time is feed.

In the regular operation of the equipment, as will be described in more detail hereinafter, a fully wound roll, initially supported by the wind-up rollers 14, 15, is drawn forwardly off `of the rollers and onto a supporting platform 46, as indicated in FIG. 5. This initiates a sequence of operations in which the web is severed by a traversing cutting knife 47, and, in accordance with the invention, the free end 48 of the fabric is flipped backward by appropriately directed air streams. IIn the meantime, a new core tube will have been fed down the inclined feeder tracks 36, into a position enabling the free end o-f the web to be wrapped around it for the commencement of winding of a new roll.

One of the significant features of the invention resides in the provision of novel, simplified and highly economical arrangements for effecting reliable feed of a lightweight core tube 28 into a roll-starting position supported by the main wind-up rollers 14, 15, and for the application of a modest degree of external weight thereto for the initial period of winding, until the accumulating roll of web material has sufficient weight of its own for effective traction. The initial objective is to reliably feed the lightweight core tube into supported position. In this respect, whereas a heavy steel core mandrel, commonly used in the prior art, would tend to seek the proper position by gravity alone, the lightweight core tube 28, typically of hollow paperboard construction, has insufficient weight to reliably press the web material downward, between the wind-up rollers 14, 15, to the desired starting position, illustrated in FIG. 6.

In accordance with the invention, positive positioning of the core tubes is provided by means of a pair of traction arms 49, which are freely pivoted at 50 to traction arm supports 51. The traction arm supports 51 are, in turn, freely pivoted at 52 on the side plates 2.6.

The at-rest position of the traction arm supports 51 and traction arms 49 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 6, and it will be noted therein that the movement of these elements is limited by appropriate abutment means. Thus, downward pivoting movement of the traction arm supports 51 is limited by a stop bracket 53 carried by the side plates 26, and pivoting movement of the traction arms 49 is limited yby forward and rearward stops 54, 55 carried by the traction arm supports 51 and arranged in straddling relation to an upward extension 56 of each traction arm. In the at-rest position of the feeder mechanism, the traction arm supports 51 are in their lower- 6 most positions, determined by the positions of the stop brackets 53, desirably arranged to position the supports at a relatively small angle below horizontal. With the traction arm supports 51 in their stop positions, the traction arms 49 desirably are held by the forward stops 54 in positions making a small forward angle with respect to the vertical. The geometry of the traction arms and their pivot points 50 is such that the traction arms tend to swing by gravity into their at-rest stop positions, illustrated in FIG. 3 and in FIG. 6.

In the at-rest positions of the traction arms 49, the serrated lower edges 57 thereof make a forwardly converging angle with respect to the upper surface of the rwind-up roller 14. The geometry of this arrangement is such that the rearwardly facing, divergent ends of the spaces between the wind-up `roller 14 and the serrated surfaces 57 form jaws large enough to receive a core tube rolling by gravity down the inclined feeder rails 36, but sufficiently convergent in the forward direction as to cause the core tube to be engaged by the teeth of the serrated edges 57.

In FIG. 4, there is illustrated a core tube 28 which has just previously been engaged between the serrated traction surfaces 57 and the wind-up roller 14 (it -being understood that a thickness of the web material F is interposed between the wind-up Aroller and the core tube). The newly fed core tube is lightly pinched by the jaws formed by the serrations and the roller surface, such that the lower peripheral portions of the tube are driven in a forward direction by the rotating wind-up roller, while the upper peripheral portions of the tube tend to be held by the serrated traction surfaces. This causes the tube to be literally rolled along the traction surfaces 57 with clockwise rotation as viewed in FIG. 4, so that the tube is advanced forwardly in a positive manner.

As the core tube advances into the FIG. 4 position, the traction arms 49 are pivoted upward or in a clockwise direction, so that the extensions 56 thereof tend to swing in a rearward direction from the front stops 54 toward the rear stops 55. After the core tube 28 has progressed slightly beyond the position indicated in FIG. 5, the extensions 56 engage the rear stop elements 55. Continued driven feeding of the core tube 28 will then lift the traction arm supports 51 off of their stop positions, somewhat increasing the weight applied to the core tubes and thus providing increasingly effective positive driving effort for pushing the fabric web down into the trough formed by the winding rollers.

When the core tube 28 has been driven approximately into the FIG. 5 position, it is brought intooperative contact with a gravity-actuated means for applying external pressure to the end extremities of the tube, and shortly after this, the external pressure means becomes primarily effective in causing the core tube to advance into its final positions for the start up of winding. In accordance with the invention, the weight-applying means comprises a pair of pressure arm supports 58 pivoted to the side plates 26, desirably along the same axis 52 on which the traction arm supports 51 are pivoted. Suitable stop brackets 59 engage the undersides of pressure arm supports 58 (see FIG. 4) to provide a gravity-held ready position disposed at an angle slightly below horizontal. Pressure arms 60 are pivoted at 61 to the outer ends of the pressure arm supports 58, and these arms carry a plurality, desirably three, of relatively small diameter pressure rollers 62. Stops 63 carried by the pressure arm supports S8 limit the downward swinging movement of the pressure arms 60, and stops 64, carried by the upper ends of the pressure arms, serve to limit the swinging movement thereof in an upward direction.

The ready position of the pressure arms 60 is reflected in FIG. 4, and there it will be observed that a newly fed core tube 28, having been previously engaged by the serrated traction edges 57, is just coming into more or less abutting contact with the first rollers of the pressure arms. With continued advancement of the core tube to the FIG. position, the tube pushes the rollers and the pressure arms in an upward or clockwise direction, until the upper edges of the pressure arm supports 58 are engaged by the stops 64. Thereupon, further advancing movement of the core tube causes the pressure arm supports 58 to be lifted off orf their stop brackets 59, thereby increasing the pressure upon the ends of the core tube for increasingly effective driving of the tube into its windup position.

As the core tube advances from the FIG. 5 position to the FIG. 6 position, it is maintained continuously in engagement with at least one of the rollers 62 until, in the wind-up position illustrated in FIG. 6, it is contacted by the lower-most roller 62. In this position, the geometry of the arms is such that the pressure arm supports 58 remain slightly lifted from the stop brackets 59 so that the weight of these supports is brought to -bear upon the core tube 28. Advantageously, the pressure arm supports 58 are keyed to shafts 65 (FIGS. l and 2) which extend through the side plates 26 and are there xed to counterweight arms 66. The size and position of counter-weights 67 may be adjusted along the counter-weight arms 66, so that a controllable degree of external pressure may be brought to bear on the ends of the newly set core tubes 28, as may be appropriate for eiiicient feeding and starting.

As will be observed by reference to the sequential views of FIGS. 5 and 6, the forward-most extremities of the serrated traction surfaces 57 are so located that, as the core tube is driven into its start-of-wind position, the pressure arm supports 51 are permitted to` seat against their stop brackets 53, and the traction arms 49 are permitted to swing clear of the upper peripheral portions of the core tubes. Thus, the traction arms 49 return to their at-rest positions and are no longer effective in the winding process. The pressure rollers 62, however, continue to apply external pressure to the end extremities of the core tubes, in the manner indicated in FIG. 7, until the weight of the gathering roll of fabric has increased to the point where the external weight is no longer necessary. At this point, which may be determined on an automatic basis according to footage wound, time, roll diameter, etc., the pressure rollers are lifted clear of the core tube and enabled to swing to their raised or at-rest positions, shown in FIG. 3.

To enable the pressure rollers 62 and the pressure arms 60 to swing free of the core tube 28, at around the condition of the winding roll illustrated in FIG. 7, the shafts 65 keyed to the pressure arm supports 58 carry lever arms 68 (FIG. l) which extend in a generally downward direction and are arranged to be engaged by cam rollers 69 carried by cam arms 70. Most advantageously, the cam arms 70 are keyed to the shaft 40, which carries the U- shaped escapement elements 39, enabling simultaneous actuation of the escapement and the camming arms 70, by means of the fluid actuator 44. When the escapement elements 39 are in the ready position, shown in FIG. 3, the cam arms 70 desirably are in a right angular relationship with the lever arms 68, so that the lever arms are held in a position holding the pressure arm supports 58 Well above their stop brackets 59. The extent of lift imparted to the pressure arm supports 58 is reflected in FIG. 3, and is sufficient to enable the lower-most pressure roller 62 to clear the core tube 28, even after it has been raised well above the wind-up rollers 14, by the bulk of the winding fabric, generally as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In an advantageous form of the invention, the uid actuator 44 is energized immediately after a fully wound roll has been removed from the winding position, simultaneously to release the core tube and to lower the pressure arm supports 58 to their at-rest position on the stop brackets 59. The actuator is then maintained in its energized condition for a predetermined time period,

which may be varied in accordance with the rate of travel of the fabric, unit weight of the fabric, etc., so that the pressure rolls 62 can be cleared as soon as the winding roll has developed sucient weight of its own.

As a specific, advantageous feature of the invention, the side plates 26 carry actuator aps 71 along their f0r ward edges, by means of hinges 72. The aps 71 extend inwardly from the side plates, desirably to an extent suffcient to engage the projecting end extremities of a core tube 28, without, however, contacting the body of fabric wound thereon. When an operator determines that the wound roll is of sufficient size, which may be determined on the basis of size of load, by the end of a given fabric piece, etc., he manually reaches over the top of the wound roll and draws it forward off of the support of the wndup rollers 14, 15, and over the front of the machine onto platforms 46. The platforms 46 are recessed in the central portion, as shown in FIG. 8, so that the operator may step up into the recess for easier access to the fabric or for loading of core tubes into the channels 33. When the fabric is drawn off of the machine, it is supported on its ends, as indicated at 73 in FIG. 8.

As the wound roll is drawn forward by the operator, the core tube extremities engage and draw forward on the actuator plates 71 tripping switches 74 associated with the actuator plates. When both of the switches 74 are actuated substantially simultaneously, control circuit means 74a operates to commence a sequence of operations, effecting cut-off of the wound roll and restarting of a new roll about a newly fed core tube.

As shown in FIG. 3, the traversing cutter knife 47 is supported by a cut-olf carriage 75, which also carries a suitable motor 76 for rotating the knife at high speed. A guide track 77 supported on the machine frame 10 in parallel relation to the wind-up rollers 14, 15 and positioned on the forward or discharge side thereof, guides and supports the carriage for movement across the width of the equipment. Suitable means, such as a fluid cylinder (not shown) may be utilized to effect traverse of the cutter carriage.

With reference to FIG. 5, a fully wound roll R is drawn forwardly, off of the wind-up rollers 14, l5 and onto the platform 46. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a tension roller 78 is located just forwardly of the guide track 77, so that, prior to cut-off, the web material extends from the windup rollers 14, 15, over and around the tension roller 78, and down to the fully wound roll R. The tension roller 78 desirably is provided with a relatively smooth outer surface and is driven to have a slight forward relative movement with the web material during the cut-off operation. Thus, where the wind-up rollers 14, 15 are kept in motion during the cut-cfr operation, the tension roller 78 desirably may have a peripheral speed of about 5% greater than the peripheral speed of the controlling wind-up roller 14. If the wind-up rollers 14, 15 are stopped during cut-off, the tension roller 78 may be driven at a relatively slow speed. In either case, the tension roller 78 serves to maintain a very light tension in the fabric in the region under the cutter knife 47, to facilitate the cutting operation.

After the cut-off has been completed, restarting of a new winding operation is commenced by energizing an air nozzle 79 disposed generally below the web material and on the rearward or upstream side of the cutting knife 47. This nozzle, which is directed upward and rearward at an angle of, say 45 issues a jet of air which flips the free end 48 (FIG. 5) of the fabric upward and rearward over and about a newly fed core tube 28, it being understood that the core tube, at this stage, has been fed into supported position between the wind-up rollers 14, 15, substantiallyas reected in FIG. 6. If desired, an additional air nozzle 80 may be disposed above the web material and arranged to direct an air stream generally downward to urge the flipped-over free end of the fabric downward, onto the core tube and onto the surface of the wind-up roller 14. This facilitates the tucking-in of the free end 48 at the start of the wind-up. Where the second nozzle 80 is utilized, it may be desirable to effect actuation thereof in slightly delayed relation to the actuation of the nozzle 79, so that the initial flipping over of the free end is substantially complete before the second nozzle 80 is actuated.

SUMMARY O'F OPERATION Assuming a winding operation to be in progress, the fabric F is drawn about a take-up roller 2:1 and guide roller 20, and then about a herring-bone spreader bar 22 by means of a driven windJup roller 14. Immediately before wind-up, the fabric edges are luncurled, if necessary, by air jet uncurlers 25 positioned just upstream of the wind-up roller 14.

During the winding operation, the winding roll of material is supported on the wind-up rollers 14, 15, with the wind-up roller traveling at a slightly higher peripheral speed than the roller 114 and slipping slightly against the outer convolution of winding fabric to maintain a desired degree of winding tension.

When a Winding operation is completed, the operator reaches over the fully wound roll and draws it forward, over the cutter guide track and tension roll 7 8` and permits it to drop onto the supporting platform 46. This forward movement trips the switch actuators 71, starting a time sequence of operations, including energization of the uid actuator 44 and traverse of the cutter 47. The wind-up rollers 14, 1S are momentarily stopped at this time, while the cutter traverse is effected, and the accumulating fabric is taken up by downward movement of the take-up roller 21. In the winding of a subsequent roll, the wind-up speed is controlled, either automatically or manually, to draw out the accumulated fabric and thereby raise the take-up roll 21.

Energizing of the actuator 44 simultaneously releases one new core tube 218 for gravity feed down the inclined tracks 36 and draws the cam rollers 69' away from the lever arms 68 to permit lowering of the pressure arm supports 51S onto their respective stop brackets 59. The gravity fed core tube 28 is first engaged at its end extremities, beyond the edges of the incoming fabric, between the roller 14 and the serrated traction surfaces 57. This causes the cone tube to be positively advanced forward and toward the bottom of the trough formed by the wind-up rollers 14, 15. The core tube is then engaged at its end extremities by the pressure rollers 62, which bear upon the tube for a sufficient period to cause it to be properly seated between the wind-up rollers and until an adequate weight of fabric has vbeen wound thereon to provide reliable winding traction. Thereupon, the actuator 44 is energized to return to its initial position, lifting the pressure rollers =62 clear of the core tube and permitting the remainder of the winding to proceed in the absence of external pressure.

Cut-off of the wound roll from the incoming fabric web is effected by a rapid traverse of the cutter carriage 75 carrying the high speed rotary cutting knife 47. As an important practical feature of the invention, the rotation of the wind-up rollers 14, 15 is interrupted momentarily during the cut-off interval' so that the cut edge of the web is at right angles to the body of the fabric. A diagonal cut, `which :would result if the cutter traverse were made with the fabric moving, would involve fabric waste on both sides of the cut, which could represent a significant loss, particularly where the individual fabric batches were relatively small. The fabric input from the processing line is not affected by the momentary stoppage of the batcher for cut-olf, and the incoming fabric is temporarily accumulated by downward movement of the roller 21.

A- particularly advantageous feature of the invention resides in the provision of the upwardly and rearward-ly directed air jet '79 lwhich, immediately after cut-off, flips the leading free end of the fabric web backiward and over the top of the newly fed core tube, so that winding of a new batch roll commences immediately and automatically. Automatic flipping and tucking of the fabric end is accomplished, ywith the equipment of the present invention, solely by actuation of air jets and without requiring complicated mechanical contrivances typical of presently available roll-up batching equipment.

The apparatus of the invention provides a highly versatile, automatic roll-up batcher, suited particularly for the winding of knitted fabric webs and which, by reason of its basic simplicity, can be made avalable on an economical basis to relatively small fabric processors. At the same time, the equipment has all the operational features heretofore obtainable only in extremely costly equipment, so that the apparatus is also attractive to the larger processors.

One of the important features of the invention resides in the ability to utilize, in an equipment of simplified and economcal design, lightweight, paperboard core tubes without requiring heavy steel mandrels. The use of these lightweight core tubes is eminently desirable, in that it greatly facilitates manual handling of the wound rolls and also reduces the tendency of crushing delicate fabrics under the weight of conventional heavy metal mandrels. In this respect, it will be understood that a typical steel mandrel rod may be on the order of 2 inches in diameter and up to 6() inches in length, lwhich makes manual handling of the rolls enormously difiicult and results in needless compression of the fabric as well as needlessly heavy construction of the equipment. A key to the ability to utilize lightweight core tubes resides in the provision of a unique arrangement for first impartng positive traction to a newly fed core tube, as it approaches the winding position, and thereafter applying a predetermined external pressure to the tube to provide reliable traction for the start-up of winding. A fairly complex sequence of operations involved in the feeding of a tube and the start-up of winding is accomplished with an extremely simple, yet wholly effective mechanism.

lIt will be understood, of course, that, Iwhile the apparatus of the invention is intended most particularly for use in the Winding of open width knitted fabrics, the inventve principles are applicable to the Winding of other materials. Likewise, it is to be understood that the specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A roll-up batcher for web materials, comprising (a) a pair of main rollers disposed in closely spaced parallel relation and defining a trough-like support Ifor a core tube and for a roll of web material being wound thereon,

(b) means for driving at least one of said main rollers constituting a traction roller,

(c) means for guiding incoming web material over one of said main rollers constituting the entry side roller,

(d) feeder means operative periodically to deposit a core tube in a position `above said entry side roller and spaced from said trough-like support,

(e) said core tube being at least slightly longer than the width of said web material and being of a weight insufficient to have reliable traction when initially seated upon the web material,

(f) traction means engageable with upper portions of a deposited core tube for causing said tube to be r0 rated by forward movement of the web material over said entry side roller and positively advanced thereby into said trough-like support, and

(g) pressure means operative initially to apply downward pressure to a deposited core tube positioned in said trough-like support, whereby to increase the effective weight of said tube suiciently to cause it to 'be rotated reliably by the web material engaging said main rollers.

2. A roll-up batcher according to claim 1, further including,

(a) means operative to release said pressure means after the combined weight of said core tube and a partly wound roll of web material wound thereon is sufficient to cause the partly wound roll to be reliably driven by said traction roller, but substantially prior to said roll being fully wound` 3. A roll-up batcher according to clairn 1, further characterized by (a) said traction means comprising traction elements movably supported above the entry side roller at spaced locations,

(b) said ele-ments having highly tractive surfaces lfacing said entry side rollers,

(c) said elements being positioned in relation to the entry side roller such that a core tube deposited thereon is engaged between the roller and the tractive surfaces of said elements,

(d) said tractive elements being shaped and supported in such manner as to constitute a reaction means against which said core tube may act to be rolled into position in said trough-like support.

4. A roll-up batcher according to Claim 3, further characterized by (a) said traction means including traction arm supports pivotally mounted above said entry roller and urged toward said roller into a predetermined position, and traction arms mounted on said supports for limited pivotal movement,

(b) said traction arms having rest positions extending downward toward said entry side roller, and

(c) said tractive surfaces constituting the lower ends of said traction arms and being disposed at a large acute angle with adjacent surface areas of the entry side roller whereby to form therewith convering jaws for the initial reception of core tubes,

(d) said traction arms being swingable in the direction of tractive advance of the core tube, whereby to enlarge the jaws at their converging ends and enable the passage through the jaws of said core tube while maintaining substantially positive tractive engagement therewith.

S. A roll-up batcher according to claim 4, further characterized by (a) said traction arms and traction arm supports being so related that, upon initial engagement of an arm by a core tube, the arms pivot freely relative to its support and, upon further tractive advance of the core tube, the traction arm support is lifted by the traction arm to increase the tractive engagement of the arm and the core tube.

6. A roll-up batcher according to claim 1, further characterized by (a) said pressure means includes pressure arm supports mounted for pivoting movement above the end extremities of a core tube, and pressure arms mounted for limited pivoting movement relative to the pressure arm supports,

(b) each of said pressure arms having a pressure roller disposed at least at its free end extremity,

(c) said pressure arms initially extending generally downward toward said entry side roller for engagement with end extremities of a core tube being advanced by said traction means toward said troughlike support,

(d) said pressure arms being initially freely swingable relative to the pressure arm supports and being thereafter locked with said supports for pivotal movement with and abQLlt the aXtS o f said supports, whereby to 12 increase the weight acting upon said core tube as it becomes seated in said trough-like support. 7. A roll-up batcher according to claim 6, further characterized by (a) each of said pressure arms having a plurality of pressure rollers mounted thereon and spaced along the axes of the pressure arms,

(b) the several rollers of each pressure arm being successively engaged by a core tube being advanced toward said trough-like support.

8. A roll-up bateher according to claim 6, further characterized by (a) means to raise said pressure arm supports after commencement of winding about -a core tube seated in said trough-like support, enabling said pressure arm to swing in a return direction to a position clear of the core tube on the entry side.

9. In a roll-up batcher for web materials of the type comprising one or more driven rollers for supporting and driving a winding roll of web material, means for feeding successive core tubes for winding successive rolls of material, and means for cutting the web between successive rolls and restarting the leading eut edge of the web material around a new core tube, the improvement, enabling the use of lightweight core tubes, which comprises (a) means for feeding core tubes into a gravity-supported relation on a driven roller, on the entry side of the wind-up position and with the web material interposed between the roller and the tube,

(b) means forming a highly tractive surface positioned to bear upon the initially fed core tube and cause it to be tractively advanced about the surface of said roller and into said wind-up position, and

(c) weighted pressure rollers movably supported to bear upon the end extremities of a core tube in and closely approaching the wind-up position whereby to provide winding traction during at least the initial stages of winding of a roll of web material.

10. A roll-up batcher according to claim 9, further characterized by (a) said pressure rollers being mounted on pivotable pressure arms, and said arms being pivoted on pivotable pressure arm supports,

(b) stop means limiting the pivotable movement of the pressure arms relative to their supports,

(c) the arrangement being such that said pressure arms `swing freely upon initial contact of said pressure rollers with a core tube, to apply limited pressure thereto, and said pressure arms and pressure arm supports swing in unison as the core tube is advanced to the wind-up position, to apply increased pressure to the core tube to commence winding of a roll of web material.

11. A roll-up batcher according to claim 10, further characterized by (a) means being provided for raising said pressure arm supports after wind-up of a roll of predetermined size, less than full size, enabling said pressure arms to swingfreely to the entry side of the core tube being wound upon.

12. A roll-up batcher for web materials such as knitted fabrics and the like, comprising (a) wind-up means for receiving web material and causing it to wind at a predetermined rate,

(b) means accommodating the forward withdrawal movement oi of the wind-up means of a wound-up roll of material and for supporting the withdrawn roll,

(c) a tension roller positioned forwardly of the winding station and rearwardly of the supported, withdrawn roll, and having a surface portion lightly engaging the web material in slipping relation,

(d) means for driving the tension roller at a peripheral speed slightly greater than the wind-up rate during cut-off, and

(e) web cutter means movable Iacross the fabric between said tension roller and the wind-up means for severing the web while maintaining slight tension on the web in the region being severed.

13. A roll-up batcher according to claim 12, further characterized by (a) said wind-up means being maintained in motion during the cut-off operation, and

(b) said tension roller is driven to have a peripheral speed on the order of greater than the wind-up speed during cut-0E.

14. A roll-up batcher according to claim 12, further characterized by (a) control means being provided Afor stopping said wind-up means during cut-off,

(b) said tension roller being driven during cut-off, and

(c) web take-up means being provided on the incoming side of said Wind-up means for temporarily accumulating incoming web material during cut- 15. A roll-up batcher for knitted fabrics and the like,

comprising (a) a machine frame,

(b) a pair of wind-up rollers of predetermined length journaled in said machine frame,

(c) a pair of side plates supported on said machine frame for adjustable movement along the axis of said wind-up rollers,

(d) said side plates being positioned generally above said wind-up rollers and forming side guides for core tubes supported by said rollers during a winding operation,

(e) channel-like means carried by each of said side plates for retaining a supply of core tubes, and

(f) means carried by the side plates for engaging and applying pressure to the end extremities of a core tube at the start of a wind-up operation.

16. A roll-up batcher according to claim 15, further including (a) a switch actuator element carried by each of said side plates and extending inward therefrom,

(b) said actuator element being engageable and movable by the end extremities of a wound roll, or the core tube therein, being withdrawn from winding position, and

(c) circuit means responsive to the substantially simultaneous movement of both of said actuator elements to initiate a series of control functions, including web cut-off and feeding of a new core tube.

17. A roll-up batcher for web materials such as knitted fabrics and the like, comprising (a) a pair of wind-up rollers, including an incoming roller and a discharge roller, positioned to support a roll of web material on a core tube of predetermined diameter during a winding operation and driven to effect rotation of the winding roll,

(b) a cut-olf knife located on the discharge side of said discharge roller, (c) said cut-olf knife being located a distance from said core tube greater than the circumference of said core tube, and

(d) fabric manipulation means actuated upon completion of web cut-off, to p the free end of the incoming web material upward and rearward about a newly fed core tube supported on said wind-up rollers, and to tuck a fold of said web material into the recess between said core tube and the incoming windup roller in order to facilitate the start up of a new winding operation,

(e) said fabric manipulation means including fabric handling means positioned between said discharge roller and said cut-off knife.

18. A roll-up batcher according to claim 17, wherein (a) said fabric handling means including iirst air nozzle means positioned generally below the cut-off knife and between said cut-off knife and said wind-up rollers to ilip the free end of the incoming web material upward and rearward over said core tube, and

(b) said fabric manipulation means further includes second air nozzle means positioned generally above the wind-up rollers for urging the dipped-over portion of said web material downward over the newly fed core tube and tucking a fold of said web material into the recess between said core tube and the incoming wind-up roller to facilitate the start-up of a new winding operation.

19. A roll-up batcher according to claim 8, further characterized by said feeder means for core tubes comprising (a) a U-shaped element for retaaining and releasing said core tubes,

(b) said U-shapped element being rotatably mounted on an actuating shaft,

(c) cam and lever means associated with said pressure arm supports,

(d) said cam and lever means being actuated by rotation of said actuating shaft to lower said pressure arm supports when said U-shaped element is rotated to release a core tube and raised when said U-shaped element is returned to its initial condition.

20. A roll-up batcher according to claim 17 whereby said fabric manipulation means includes (a) air nozzle means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,484,498 2/ 1924 Hildebrandt 24-2-56 2,461,387 2/1949 Medbery 242-66 2,845,231 7/ 1958 Grettve 242-56.6 3,055,606 9/ 1962 Alden 242-66X 3,057,572 10/ 1962 Rockstrom et al 242-66 3,133,712 5/1964 Pano et al. 242-66 3,282,524 11/ 1966 Couzens et al 242-56 3,430,880 3/1969 Braecker et al. 242-56 3,377,033 4/ 1968 Link 242-66X FOREIGN PATENTS 750,112 6/ 1956 Great Britain 242-56 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner 0 W. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 242--66 

